There is a natural rhythm to the universe. When we
are in sync with this rhythm, life unfolds seamlessly.
But when we try to force it and rush toward a destination
or goal, we actually move faster than the speed of
life. Getting out of sync with life’s natural rhythm often
results in a myriad of challenges and issues. So, if your
life is chaotic, or if you are stressed out, tired, fragmented,
anxious and confused, or if things are breaking
all around you, chances are you are moving faster than
the speed of life.

Being out of sync is like the chain falling off your
bicycle: No matter how fast you pedal, you’re not getting
anywhere. Lots of effort but little result creates exhaustion
and overwhelm.

Many years ago, I was a stressed-out single mom and
business owner. I had about a million things to do each
day, or at least it felt that way. I remember waking up
each morning under an energetic blanket of overwhelm
and anxiety. I didn’t want to get out of bed and face the
day, but I had to—at least, until I realized that I didn’t
have to. That idea took me by surprise and contradicted
everything that I had ever believed about myself and my
life. I questioned this new concept, but it secretly gave
me strength, peace and resolve.

I began to start each morning by surrendering my
day to a higher power. In the recesses of my mind I
would whisper, “Today, I don’t have to do anything.”
Ahhh… I could breathe. The layers of the heavy blanket
began to dissolve.

Sweet Surrender

We humans are incredibly resilient and tenacious, but
at some point, we get so exhausted and stressed out that
we have no choice but to eventually surrender. Things
just aren’t working and we don’t have a clue on how to
fix them, so as a last resort, we let go. Of course, letting
go is exactly the right thing to do.

Here’s the thing: By letting go of everything, before
my feet even touched the ground, I suddenly had the
energy and desire to take inspired action, but without
the urgency, stress or strain that previously engulfed me.
By telling myself, “I don’t have to do anything today,”
I became at choice with my days—with my life. I realized
that despite how things might seem, I always had the
choice to do, or to not do. My life was the way it was
because it was my choice…and at any moment, I could
make a different one.

From this perspective, I was no longer in a rush. I
was no longer stressed. At some point, I felt the tectonic
plates of my life slip into place. Anxiety began to melt
away and I realized that the overwhelm which once
swallowed me up could not exist if I was conscious and
present in this moment.

When we surrender the stress and release the rush,
we immediately realign with the universe. No matter
how off-center we have been, alignment can happen in
an instant, simply by letting go.

The first sign that we are aligned and in sync is
that we feel better. We feel calm, peaceful and in the moment. No rush. No urgency. Just here, now. The
second thing we notice is that things get done easier and
more quickly, and sometimes they might even appear to
get done on their own.

Synchronicity is simply being in sync with life. When
you are in sync, everything good and fine lines up for
you. You manifest what you desire with ease and grace.

So, I did just that. I slowed down, I chose my life and
I became really, really present. Then the most amazing
thing began to happen: Not only did I feel better, but
my life began to get better. I was suddenly in sync with
the rhythm of the universe. Everything got done that
needed to get done—kids got fed, money got made and
even books got written—but there was no longer stress
or grief. There was the sweet dance that became my
life. The things that once took all my energy, because I
was resistant and not present, now seemed to get done
without effort.

Ironically, I discovered that the more I slowed down,
the more I accomplished, and the better the results!

At some point, I realized that my dance was the sweet
dance that the universe had in store for me all along.
By trying to force things, make things happen and do
everything myself, I was actually causing unnecessary
pain and hardship. The mere act of slowing down and
letting go allowed the universe to do her magic, which is
infinitely more powerful than anything I could ever do
in many lifetimes.

Getting in Sync

To help you determine what shifts might make the most
difference in your life, I offer the following:

You Are Not Alone

Sometimes we move faster than the speed of life
because we believe that we are all alone, and we must
do everything ourselves. Despite how it may seem, you
are not alone on this journey. You are an intricate part of
the universe—of life itself. When you believe that you
are doing it all alone, anxiety and stress are the result.
But it is those very emotions that tell you that you have
unplugged from the rhythm of life, and it is time to let
go so that you can plug back in.

STOP Running
From Yourself

Often, we keep super busy because we are afraid of
meeting ourselves in the quietude. We are afraid that
if we are alone and still, we might confront our weaknesses
and have to deal with the shadows we have
been avoiding. So, we run from one thing to the next—
switching roles, playing with our identities, and hiding
behind the illusion of busyness. Yes, it may be uncomfortable
to “meet yourself” at first, but you cannot be
in sync with life if you don’t know who you really are.
Whether it is your body or your mind that runs a mile a
minute in order to get in the flow of life, you have to stop
and be still so that you can hear the quiet voice of your
own true self.

Stress Is Fear
Disguised as Desire

The voice of stress says, “I have too much to do and not
enough time to do it.” Stress is a liar. In fact, it is stress
that shortens time and gives you more to do. When you
think thoughts like, “I don’t have enough time” you are
telling the universe, Don’t give me enough time. And when
you think “I have too much to do,” you are telling the
universe, Give me too much to do. Your thoughts program
reality, so you must consciously program peaceful and
harmonious thoughts.

Work Smarter,
Not Harder

Somehow we have been brainwashed with “work
ethics” that tell us that in order to succeed we must
work incredibly hard and sacrifice ourselves for the
success of our desires. This is a myth. The only thing
that you have to sacrifice in order to succeed is the
belief that you must work so very hard and sacrifice
yourself. Yes, success requires an exchange of energy—
things don’t materialize out of thin air (at least not yet),
but as the saying goes, “Work smarter, not harder.”
Working smarter does not just mean innovation and
efficiency, it also means a state of mind. If you are
working from a state of overwhelm and stress, you
are likely giving out more energy than you are getting
back. If you are multitasking and not focused, you
are also not getting an equal return for what you put
in. However, when you are relaxed, focused and in
a state of flow, the energy that you expend through
your work is exponentially returned to you tenfold.
Working smarter means engaging the power of the
universe on your behalf.

Let Go

Being in the flow with the universe doesn’t happen by
forcing things or trying to control things. It only happens
by letting go and trusting that flow, wherever it takes us.
Does this mean that we really let go of control? In
some ways, yes, but it also means that we take our power
back as creators, which is well beyond the petty control
of details. When it comes down to it, the only control
that we really have is the control of our minds. You can
make a huge difference in your life by beginning each
morning by pre-paving your day. By envisioning your
perfect day, you are telling the universe what to create
for you. The universe will respond by giving you inspired
action which will support your desires. Without desire,
there is no inspire.

Ask the
Universe for Help

Like a good parent, the universe will allow you to do whatever
you want on your own and not interfere, but as soon
as you ask for help, the power and energy of the universe
conspires on your behalf. When we try to do anything
ourselves, we experience more effort and fewer results,
but when we invoke the magic of the universe, we experience
less effort and more results. The key is asking! There
is an infinitely great Source that loves you unconditionally
and eternally, and this Source is always conspiring for your
highest good, even when it appears otherwise.

Use Love

Around this same time of surrender, one day when I was
making my boys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
I realized that my focus was elsewhere. I immediately
recalled my energy and I put my entire attention on the
task at hand. As I did, I could feel my love enliven the
sandwiches that my children would soon be eating. In
that moment I got it: I needed to put my love into everything,
and so now I do. And, of course, it comes back to
me in abundance.

Drop Multitasking

Despite how it might seem, we are not equipped to
multitask. You can really only do one thing at a time.
Multitasking causes stress, and stress makes us less productive.
As you focus on one thing at a time, be present.
Don’t daydream or think about the next thing that you
have to do. Be here now, and be present to the experience
that you are having, as if it is the first and only time
you will be doing what you are doing.

Slow Down

When we move faster than the speed of life, big and
small mishaps are designed to slow us down, and get
us back on track. This includes all sorts of unforeseen
delays, up to and including slow drivers who cut in front
of you on the highway when you are in a rush to get
somewhere. Nothing is random—everything in your
reality is specially selected. The universe is conspiring to
wake you up! But first, you have to slow down and quiet
your mind so that you can hear that wake-up call.

Turn Off
Autopilot

Get real and ask yourself, “Is this really something I want
to do?” You might surprise yourself by answering yes,
but if the answer is really no, then turn off the automatic
pilot. Find a better way to live your life, or a better state
of mind to do what you are doing. Life does not change
until you ask it to change. You must be willing to let
go of the way things are and willing to embrace new
possibilities.

Give Up Identity

It is often our identities that keep us from being truly
present and in the flow. Maybe we are so busy playing
the good mom or dad that we forget to pay attention to
our children, or we are so caught up in playing a career
role that we forget who we are beyond the performance.
Instead of being Superman or Superwoman, just be
present. There is no stress in being present.

Detox Your Mind

It is often self-judgment that causes us to stress out and
go faster than the speed of life. When we drop criticism
and self-judgment and we let go of have-tos and
shoulds, we become free to grow and flourish with life.
Perfectionism is just another word for self-judgment.

Your No. 1 Priority

If you are overly busy or stressed out, chances are you
are putting yourself last. This is the worst thing that you
can do. In order to get in the flow of life, you must make
yourself a priority. So, instead of “seeing if you have
time” for working out, meditating or getting a massage,
you must make self-care preeminent. Your body has
immense wisdom, but in order to access that wisdom,
you must take care of yourself. Listen to your body when
it has guidance to offer, which is literally every day.
Your body will be the first to tell you that you are moving
faster than the speed of life.

Happiness is
Your Guide

You are meant to be happy, and if you are not happy, you
are not in the flow of life. Unhappiness is your inner
guidance system telling you that you are going in the
wrong direction. If you get to the end of the road and
you are stressed out and unhappy, turn around and
find another way. Resistance to change is like digging a
deeper and deeper ditch in a place you don’t want to be.

Nature Knows

Nature is always in resonance with life. You never see a
flower unnerved because it is not blooming fast enough,
or a cloud upset because it didn’t make a deadline.
When we spend time in nature, the rhythm of our bodies
begins to sync up with the rhythm of nature and we, too,
slide into resonance.

Breathe

Breathing deeply brings you back into your body and
aligns you with the present moment. Just taking 10 deep
breaths tells the body and mind that it is safe to relax.
While you are breathing deeply, you might as well imagine
that you are breathing in beautiful golden light, and
you are enveloped by the love of the universe.